Tuesday, October 27, 2015
By Greg Gulas
CORTLAND
Five days ago the Lakeview girls soccer team scored early and often as they recorded a 14-0 shutout of the Struthers Wildcats during Division II sectional finals action.
On Monday in a district semifinal against Howland, all the Bulldogs could manage was nine meaningful shots.
Morgan Scott scored the only goal of the game on a penalty kick and goalie Kamryn Buckley kept every shot in front of her to lead the Tigers to a 1-0 victory over Lakeview at Don Richards Memorial Stadium.
The Tigers will meet Niles in a district final Thursday at the YSU Soccer Complex. The Red Dragons beat the West Branch Warriors 1-0 on Monday night.
The game will mark a rematch of their 1-1 deadlock back on Oct. 12 played at Howland. Niles has never beaten Howland (9-6-3).
The goal, Scott’s 10th of the season, was notched at the 27:07 mark of the opening half.
“I forget who the foul was on, but I’m the go-to PK taker so as soon as we got that foul I just ran up there and got ready to take the shot,” she said. “I have a routine that I go through every time I take a penalty kick so I was calm, had confidence in myself and just put it in the back of the net. Kamryn had a hell of a game, made a bunch of saves and while our defense contributed a lot, I had a lot of confidence in Kam today as well.”
Buckley and the Howland defense held the Bulldogs (14-5) to just three shots in the opening half and six after intermission.
“The key was to shut off their outside players so when they don’t get the ball, then they don’t get the ball in, which made it easier on my part,” Buckley said. “I’m very confident in my defense. We made some changes late in the season but I feel very confident about them right now.”
Howland head coach Joe Megyesi added that his team is developing a good, healthy rivalry with the Bulldogs.
“Shawn [Varley, Lakeview’s head coach] and I go way back and we’ve talked that this can be a great rivalry. Our record doesn’t show it, but we’ve played 13 Division I teams and only three D-II’s so we have become accustomed to playing some pretty decent teams,” Megyesi said. “Any game, it’s all about who shows up. Believe it or not, I was hurting for a goalie as this is Kamryn’s first year. Every game she just gets better and better and did a fantastic job tonight. Morgan did a great job on her goal and this was just one of those games that was a good game played between two excellent programs. We’ve gotten better and better since the mid-point of the season.”
Varley said the first half was tough on his team.
“I think the first 40 minutes we kind of wasted. Howland’s physical play took us out of our game,” he said. “It takes one goal to win the game and that’s what they got. One PK determined the game. Miranda Meffe has been our goalkeeper the past three years, was second-team all-district this year and is an excellent goalkeeper. I wouldn’t want anyone else in net for us. Howland’s goalkeeper also had some nice saves and both played really well tonight while in goal.”
The Bulldogs close their season by winning 10 of their final 12 contests.
The Tigers are now 5-0-1 in their last six games as they head to the district final.